The New Jersey club will try for its first win in its ninth National Women’s Soccer League game of the season against the Utah Royals at Yurcak Field at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The match will kick off Sky Blue FC’s (0-7-1, 1 point) celebration.

“Utah is a very good team overall and perhaps the best pressing team in the league,” Sky Blue FC head coach Denise Reddy said. “In addition to the high press, they are very good at putting immediate pressure on the ball no matter where they are on the field. Regardless of the score, they are a team that is going to be constantly working for the full 90 minutes.”

Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between these two clubs after Utah (2-2-5, 11) entered the NWSL this past offseason.

“For us to get points in this game, we have to be very efficient in terms of possession, and we have to be very gritty in the final third,” Reddy said. “Not only do we need to be aggressive, we must also work to get numbers in order to capitalize on the opportunities we create.”

Sky Blue FC hosted Seattle Reign FC at Yurcak Field last weekend. Reign FC secured a season sweep of the three-game series with a 1-0 victory. The lone tally of came in the 64th minute when Kristen Westphal hooked up Megan Rapinoe, who scored the game-winner in each of their three match-ups this year.

Utah enters Saturday after seeing a five-game unbeaten streak get snapped by Portland Thorns FC last Friday night at Providence Park, 2-0. Portland jumped to a 1-0 advantage in the 18th minute when Tobin Heath set up Christine Sinclair, and the host side added an insurance tally in the 39th minute by means of a Meghan Klingenberg to Lindsey Horan connection.

About The Author

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered eight World Cups, seven Olympics and all 21 MLS Cups. He writes about New York City FC, New York Cosmos and the U.S. national team for Newsday and pens a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has two more in the works, including one about the Rochester Lancers.